Translation system and a multifunction computer, particularly for treating texts and translation on paper

ABSTRACT

An interactive paper translation using alternate dictionaries includes: a first storage for storing words and strings of more words with respective correct translations so that it forms a dictionary of words and sentences or sentence portions; a second receiver for receiving a text to be translated; a third storage for storing the translated text in the second screen field; and a fourth searcher for searching in progression for the words of the text to be translated. The method compares translated words with the words of the first storage to obtain a progressive translation and forms a completely automatic translation or an interactive translation or vice versa, before beginning the translation. During the option of interactive translation, there are further displays and windows. The method may also involve a scanner integrated with OCR for direct loading of the sheets to be translated.

RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a translation system and a multifunctioncomputer, particularly for treating texts and translation on paper.

The translation system is also part of this invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In prior art there is a great plurality of computers able to dotranslations and machine translation systems.

The most known ones follow.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,677,835—Oct. 14, 1997, in the name of Caterpillar Inc.,Peoria, Ill., USA This substantially regards: a system of integratedcomputer-based processes for monolingual information development andmultilingual translation. An interactive text editor enforces lexicaland grammatical constraints on a natural language subset used by theauthors to create their text, which clarify text to ensuretranslatability. The resulting translatable source language textundergoes machine translation into any one of a set of target languages,without the translated text requiring any post-editing.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,981; Oct. 28, 1993; (International Business MachinesCorporation, Armonk, N.Y.), regards a language translation apparatus andmethod using context-based translation models. In particular, there isan apparatus for translating a series of source words in a firstlanguage to a series of target words in a second language. For an inputseries of source words, at least two target hypotheses, each including aseries of target words, are generated. Each target word has a contextcomprising at least one other word in the target hypothesis. For eachtarget hypothesis, there is a language model match score including anestimate of the probability of occurrence of the series of words in thetarget hypothesis.

At least one alignment connecting each source word with at least onetarget word in the target hypothesis is identified. For each source wordand each target hypothesis, a word match score including an estimate ofthe conditional probability of occurrence of the source word, given thetarget word in the target hypothesis which is connected to the sourceword and given the context in the target hypothesis of the target wordwhich is connected to the source word.

For each target hypothesis, a translation match score includes acombination of the word match scores for the target hypothesis and thesource words in the input series of source words. A target hypothesismatch score includes a combination of the language model match score forthe target hypothesis and the translation match score for the targethypothesis. The target hypothesis having the best target hypothesismatch score is output.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,701—Jun. 7, 1991 in the name of BritishTelecommunications public limited company, London, England, regards aLanguage translation system, and in particular, the present languagetranslation system for translating phrases from a first language into asecond language comprises a store holding a collection of phrases in thesecond language.

Phrases input in the first language are each characterized on the basisof one or more keywords, and the corresponding phrase in the secondlanguage is output. Such a phrasebook approach enables what iseffectively a rapid and accurate translation, even from speech. Sincethe phrases in the second language are prepared in advance and held instore, there need be no problems of poor translation or ungrammaticalconstruction. The output may be in text, or, using speech synthesis, invoice form. With appropriate choice of keywords it is possible tocharacterize a large number of relatively long and complex phrases withjust a few keywords.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,976—Jun. 16, 1992, in the name of Ricoh Company,Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, regards an Interactive language conversion system;and in particular, the present language conversion system includes adatabase of expression patterns in the object language, a relevanceevaluation mechanism for evaluating a relevance of each expressionpattern in the object language with respect to an input in the originallanguage, a retrieval and identification mechanism for retrieving andidentifying from the input in the original language informationrequested by the expression pattern in the object language required togenerate an output in the object language, a selection mechanism forselecting the expression pattern in the object language conforming tothe input in the original language depending on the relevance evaluatedin the relevance evaluation mechanism, an output mechanism forgenerating the output in the object language based on the requiredinformation retrieved and identified from the input in the originallanguage by the retrieval and identification mechanism, and a controlmechanism for controlling operation sequences of the relevanceevaluation mechanism, the retrieval and identification mechanism, theselection mechanism and the output mechanism.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,765: Machine translation system in the name ofToppan Printing Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, filed on Mar. 14, 1995, claimsa machine translation system comprising: a first language; a secondinput means for inputting a second character string written in a secondlanguage; a display means for simultaneously displaying the first andsecond character strings input from said first and second input means; alinking means which has first designating means for designating a thirdcharacter string included in the first character; a string displayed bysaid display means, and second designating means for designating afourth character string included in the second character stringdisplayed by said display means, and linking the third and fourthcharacter strings with each other; a recording means for recording thethird and fourth character strings linked by said linking means as apair; and a means for detecting the character string which is mostsimilar to an original character string written in the first languagefrom a plurality of recorded third character strings, and translatingthe original character string into a character string written in thesecond language by using a fourth character string linked with thedetected character string.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,583—Jan. 27, 1994—in the name of Uribe-EchebarriaDiaz De Mendibil; Gregorio, Erandio, Bilbao, Spain, regards an automaticinterlingual translation system, claiming a method for use in a computerto automatically translate a first text based on a source language to asecond text based on a different target language. The method comprisesthe steps of: (a) analyzing said first text to achieve anarborescent-type clarification on morphological, syntactical andsemantic characteristics of said first text; (b) translating theanalyzed text to a first intermediate language, wherein said firstintermediate language contains structural characteristics of said sourcelanguage; (c) integrating the translated text into a meta-languagecontaining morphological, syntactical, and semantic features of aplurality of languages; (d) translating the integrated text to a secondintermediate language, wherein said second intermediate languagecontains structural characteristics of said target language; and (e)converting the translated, integrated text to said second text.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,698—Dec. 22, 1983—in the name of Sharp KabushikiKaisha, Osaka, Japan, regards an electronic translator includingcharacter input keys for inputting a first language word, a translatorfor translating the inputted first language word into the secondlanguage word, a retranslator for retranslating the second language wordback to the first language word, and a display unit for displaying theinputted word, translated word and retranslated word.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,836 Oct. 22,1980—in the name of Sharp KabushikiKaisha, Osaka, Japan, regards an electronic translator, claiming: anelectronic translator device for obtaining a second word represented ina second language equivalent to an input word in a first language,comprising: input means for entering the input word; first memory meansfor memorizing a plurality of first words in the first language, each ofsaid first words comprising one or more first letters which remainunchanged regardless of inflection and one or more second letters whichchange according to inflection; address means operatively connected tosaid input means and responsive to entry of the input word foraddressing said first memory means to develop one of the plurality offirst words; detection means operatively connected to said first memorymeans and responsive to said address means for detecting equivalencybetween the input word and said first 1 letters of respective firstwords; second memory means for memorizing a plurality of second words inthe second language corresponding to first words stored in said firstmemory means; first means operatively connected to said detecting meansfor activating said second memory means whereby said second memory meansdevelops a second word corresponding to the input word when the inputword is equivalent to one of said first words; and second meansoperatively connected to said detecting means for indicating that one ofsaid first words in said first memory means comprises a noninflectedform of the input word.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,435—Jul. 22, 1985—in the name of Sharp KabushikiKaisha, Osaka, Japan, regards an electronic language translator capableof modifying definite articles, and in particular, the present inventionis an electronic translator in which sentences as stored are modified byreplacing one or more words in one of the original sentences with one ormore new words and by changing automatically one or more additionalwords in the original sentence, depending on the nature of the one ormore new words entered in the sentence. For example, the one or moreadditional words may be definite articles or prepositions.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,529—Feb. 12, 1987—in the name of Kabushiki KaishaToshiba, Kawasaki, Japan, regards a machine translation system. Themachine translation system for translating a first language into asecond language, comprises: input means for entry of an original writtensentence in the first language into the system; dictionary means havingat least a first dictionary for storing various words in various partsof speech and their translation in the second language respectivelycorresponding to the words in the first language, and a seconddictionary for storing various words designated as nouns correspondingto words in the first language; translation means for analyzing theoriginal written sentence in the first language, for retrieving saiddictionary means and for executing the translation processing of theinput original, when any of the same words designated as nouns stored inthe first dictionary is found in the second dictionary, the word storedin the second dictionary takes precedence over that in the firstdictionary in the translation means; and output means for producingtranslated sentences in the second language obtained from saidtranslation means.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,021—Jan. 10, 1986—in the name of Hitachi, Ltd.,Tokyo, Japan, regards a system for automatic language translation usingseveral dictionary storage areas and a noun table, and in particularregarding a translation method for a machine translation system providedwith apparatus for parsing a source language sentence and for forming atarget language translation in which a phrase omitted in the sourcelanguage sentence is identified, and a word or phrase to be inserted forthe omitted phrase is selected from stored words and phrases. Foridentifying an omitted phrase, a sentence pattern corresponding to apredicate in the source language sentence is formed so as to include notonly cases governed by the predicate but also a semantic feature foreach case. By comparing the source language sentence with the sentencepattern, a case which is omitted in the source language sentence butcannot be omitted in the target language translation is identified. Fordetermining a word or phrase to be placed at the position of the omittedphrase, the nouns having appeared in the source language text are storedas nouns, together with the semantic feature, gender, person and numberof each noun. A noun having the same semantic feature is searched for asthe omitted phrase. When a target language translation of the sourcelanguage sentence is formed, a pronoun having the same gender, personand number as the omitted phrase is used as a target language equivalentfor the omitted phrase, and thus a target language translation which isgrammatically correct, is obtained.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,788—Jun. 25, 1987—in the name of Sharp KabushikiKaisha, Osaka, Japan, regards a translation machine system withsplitting and combining of sentences. The inventor claims an electronictranslation machine system for translating multiple sentences from asource language to a target language comprising: input means forinputting a plurality of source sentences; first buffer means incommunication with said input means for storing said source sentences;position designation means coupled with said first buffer means fordesignating a division point separating a selected source sentence intoparts and for inserting a position designation symbol in said selectedsource sentence; splitting means in communication with said first buffermeans for scanning said selected source sentence for said positiondesignation symbol and, once encountered, for splitting said selectedsource sentence into parts and for storing said parts in said firstbuffer means; and translation means for translating the parts of saidselected source sentence stored in said buffer means from said sourcelanguage to said target language.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,684—Dec. 31, 1990—in the name of Trans-LinkInternational Corp., Honolulu, Hi., regards an automatic texttranslation and routing system, claiming a machine translation system.

There is a machine translation module which is capable of performingmachine translation from input text of a source language to output textof a target language, said machine translation module having a pluralityof target language submodules for performing machine translation into aplurality of different target languages.

There is also a receiving interface for receiving via a firsttelecommunications link an electronic input which is divided into pages,said input pages including a cover page having predefined fieldscontaining system information therein and at least one text page in asource language, wherein said cover page includes at least a firstpredefined field designating an address of an addressee to whichtranslated output text is to be sent, and a second predefined fielddesignating a selected one of the plurality of different targetlanguages into which the at least one text page is to be translated, andwherein said receiving interface includes a recognition module capableof electronically recognizing the address of the addressee designated insaid first predefined field of the cover page of the received inputpages, and the selected target language designated in said secondpredefined field of the cover page.

There is also a sending interface for sending output text generated bysaid machine translation module to an addressee via a secondtelecommunications link; and a control means coupled to said receivinginterface, said machine translation module, and said sending interfacefor recognizing the address and target language designated in saidpredefined fields of said cover page, for controlling said machinetranslation module to generate output text of the designated targetlanguage from the input text of the source language, and for operatingsaid sending interface to automatically send the translated output textvia the second telecommunications link to the designated addressrecognized from said predefined fields of said cover page.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,151—Feb. 26, 1993—in the name of MicrosoftCorporation, Redmond, Wash., regards a method and system for translatingdocuments using translation, and claiming a computer system fortranslating a source language document written in a source language to atarget language document written in a target language, the sourcelanguage including a multiplicity of source terms and the targetlanguage including a multiplicity of target terms, the computer systemincluding a display screen, the source language document, a productglossary having a plurality of source terms from the source language anda plurality of target terms from the target language, each source termbeing associated with the corresponding target term which translates thesource term into the target language.

The computer system comprises: means for producing a translation screenportion on the display screen, the translation screen portion includinga current insertion point; means for displaying the source languagedocument on the translation screen portion; means for comparing each ofthe plurality of source terms from the product glossary with the sourceterms in the source language document; inserting means for inserting acharacter adjacent to the source term in the source language document,in response to each comparison by the comparing means which produces amatch between one of the source terms in the source language documentand one of the source terms in the product glossary; means forassociating in an index file the inserted character with a target termfrom the product glossary that translates the matched source term fromthe source language into the target language; means for inputting aninsert target term command which contains a translation requestcharacter corresponding to the inserted character; means for retrievingthe translation request character from the insert target term command;means for retrieving from the index file the target term associated withthe retrieved translation request character; and means for inserting theretrieved target term on the translation screen portion in response tothe insert target term command.

EP-A-0176858 (SHARP KK) April 1986, discloses: A translation systemperforming translation from a first language into second language underan interaction mode between said translation system and an operator,comprising means for inputting original sentences to be translate, meansfor translating the input sentence of said first language into outputsentences of said second language, wherein the operator inputsinformation relating to at least one word of the input sentence then thetranslation is performed on the basis of said input information.

Prior Art Drawbacks

The prior art drawbacks substantially consist in that they do not allowthe operator to reach a suitable operational performance. Even in thelatter EP-A-0176858 (SHARP KK) solution, the operator identifies firstthe qualification of input sentence words, then translation isperformed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Purpose of the present invention is that of obviating the abovementioned drawbacks.

The problem is solved as claimed by a machine translation system andrespective translator comprising:

-   -   first means for the storing of words and strings with more words        with respective correct translations forming a dictionary of        words and sentences or sentence portions;    -   second means for receiving a text to be translated on a screen        field; and    -   third means for storing the translated text into a second screen        field;    -   fourth means for progressively searching the words of the text        to be translated and comparing them with said first means words        for obtaining a progressive translation; and    -   means for having an option between a completely automatic form        of translation or an interactive one or vice versa before        beginning the translation, wherein said interactive translation        option further comprises: means for displaying on a disappearing        window on said screen; the words missing during the word search;        the sentences translated when each sentence translation is        complete.

The window further allows their correction and storage such that theinteractive translation option further comprises: means for highlightingand storing a translated sentence word or portion, concerning a possiblemodification by the operator and means for highlighting and storing thecorresponding translated sentence word or portion, means for storing arespective behaviour code of said sentence word or portion; and a meansfor integrating said first storage means forming a dictionary of wordsand sentences or sentence portions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other advantages will appear from the following description ofa preferred solution, with the aid of the included drawings, whosedetails are not to be considered limitative but only given as examples.

FIG. 1 is a view of the translating computer.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the scanner body inserted in the computercase.

FIG. 3 is a view with blocks scheme of the computer structure andworking system as in previous figures.

FIG. 4 is a view of the image that appears on the screen during theinteractive translation and of the window, for the control, correctionand self-learning of the portion concerned with the correction.

FIG. 5 is a visualization of the completed translation, for the finalchecking and following eventual post-correction.

FIGS. 6 to 9 concern a series of subsequent phases of the translationprocess in the interactive-automatic way, by using a module in thespecific case a bi-directional one recalled by the multilingual mainmanagement system (FIGS. 4–5)“English-Italian-English”, bi-directionalmodule, having a plurality of these modules according to the possiblecombinations between the different languages and recalled time by timeby the main system, each module being able also to operate singularlywithout the assistance of the management system or main management.

FIG. 10 represents one of the cards showing the interactive storagemeans of the words and sentence fragments that characterize the system.

FIG. 11 represents the option card for the choice before the translationof the desired work domain, technology, medicine, agriculture, etc.

FIG. 12 represents the storage device of the new teaching words andsentence fragments encoded during the interactive correction operation.

FIG. 13 represents the choice device of the work sector divided in aplurality of dominions from 1 to 33 with a customizable optional 34 inthe specific case the sector 10 (electronics) being selected.

In the case of FIGS. 4 and 5 only one sentence was quoted forsimplicity, but it is evident that because sliding fields are involved,the document to be translated may be a multipage one.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the present invention, there is the advantage of giving the operatorthe possibility of progressively implementing during the sametranslation not only the missing words or the repetitive and commonsentences as in the prior art known systems, but also sentencefragments, which thanks to the respective behaviour code given by theoperator will be inserted and suitably be self-modified in the nexttranslation sentence.

Thus, thanks to the well known repetitiveness of the expressions in thetranslation documents, the system automatically and rapidly continues toexpand this new translation domain giving, after the first translatedtext pieces, thanks to said auto-learning of corrections (FM1-FM2, FM3)with said behavior code (FM4), a resulting maximum translation level andabsolutely peerless in quality with respect to any known translationsystem.

The tests carried out gave such amazing results that even after only alittle translation the errors in each sentence decrease to the minimumalmost immediately reaching the average error/sentence value comprisedbetween 1 and 2, for then reaching the error/sentences value>1.

The present invention also includes a means which provide at least threecontrol and input lines:

-   -   the first upper one as sentence to be translated/sentence        portion corresponding to the correction;    -   the second one as translated sentence/correct sentence portion;        and    -   the third one as a line for inputting the behaviour code        corresponding to the correction.

Advantageously, the presence of a line which by means of a series ofnumbers indicates how the sentence composition was obtained, for singlewords and word fragments, thus allowing to let the operator know how thesystem found the translation sources (single words combined withsentence fragments) is provided. Thus there is the advantage ofoperating quickly and with the highest speed, having the possibility ofcarrying out a suitable control before the inputting.

The present invention further comprises a translation interfacecomprising at least two fields vertically scrollable in parallel;adjacent and placed one close to the other, one for the document to betranslated and one for the translation. The interface has means to:

-   -   allow the simultaneous size variation of both fields, one for        the text to be translated and one for the translated text; and    -   keep the two fields at the same height;    -   scroll the two fields in parallel and simultaneously; and adjust        the width of both fields in a proportion inverse to the length        of the two documents: original and translation.

Thus the great advantage of being able to control and correct thetranslation by comparing it substantially aligned with the original.

During the display of an interactive translation window, a controlwhich, after selecting a sentence word or portion to be translated inthe window, enables the consultation of a parallel dictionary whichsuggests alternative translations of the selected word. Thus giving theoperator the possibility of consulting on line a respective consultancydictionary. There is also a control for stopping the interactivetranslation in process, which stores in accumulation in a pair ofseparate fields: the already translated and corrected part; and thecorresponding part of the document which had to be translated.

This is for leaving only what remains of the still untranslated part inthe field of the translation in process in order to recover it and thelast not yet corrected sentence being translated corresponding to thefirst sentence of the not yet translated translation part, which at thatmoment was in the interactive window for the control. It is thuspossible to interrupt an interactive translation without losing anythingof what was previously translated correctly, and further to intervene inpost-correction on the system by acting both on the part still to betranslated and on the one just translated. Thus it is possible storingall the corrections made later, allowing to use them again in the nexttranslations.

The present invention also includes a means for performing thepost-correction after the text translation, on field of the translation,including means for:

-   -   locating the cursor position in the correction area or otherwise        if a portion is stored by highlighting, automatically calculate        the number of corresponding sentences and words of the        translated document from the source;    -   on the basis of absolutely maintaining the punctuation        positions, they provide in a screen window;    -   the previously highlighted sentence portion in the correction        zone or the concerned whole sentence located by the cursor        presence since the last correction; and    -   the corresponding sentence of the document to be translated, in        order to allow the operator to: define by highlighting the        sentence fragment corresponding to the one concerned with the        correction and provide a corresponding behaviour code for the        storage, substantially in a way similar to what operated during        the interactive translation.

Above said pair of fields, a control bar is provided for the controloperations substantially forming a “T”-shaped base interface in whichthe upper cap of the “T” is the control bar by a combination of buttonsand the “T”stem substantially separates the right field from the leftfield of said pair of fields of the document to be translated andtranslated document. Thus the whole is combined and integrated in amaximum performance.

Considering that the scanners are always dissociated from the computerand considering that this is caused by the dimension of the scanner andby the practical impossibility to manipulate sheets within the computeritself, it was thought to associate to the computer itself a scannerintegrated in the case of the computer, and to avoid said dimension ofthe manipulation of the paper sheets to be read, it was innovativelythought to adopt the sideways entry and exit of the paper sheet, thenall associated to OCR system for characters recognition.

In this way the paper document to be translated is automatically loadedin the machine and in the translation system for eventual control,rectification and following translation. The result of this structuresubstantially involves the possibility of integrating the scanner withthe computer itself and therefore a sensitive improvement of the totaltime for effecting the translation from a paper document.

By using this advantageous and innovative system it is possible to alsoapply the respective printer on the opposite side of the scanningapparatus.

According to the figures and in particular referring to FIG. 1 it isnoticed that the computer 1 has a desktop parallelepiped-like shapedwith frontal entry for disks, CD etc. (11); side entry according to theinvention for scanner (12) and respective outlet on the same side (13)of the scanned sheet.

The printed sheets exit with feeding of the same paper on the side ofthe scanner (12) being able to be provided on the other side (oppositeside) or by feeding by extractable underlying drawer always on the side.

The computer 1 obviously is provided with means for realizing a completeoperative element with keyboard 2, mouse 3 and monitor or screen 4 bothin traditional version and in version “LCD”or other equivalent.

The scanner group (122) is integrated in the computer case (1) and iscontrolled by the push-button (14), and in a simplified version, thepaper sheet (P) enters from the side MI and comes out through the sideM2 to then be conveyed by conveying rollers: in the solution of FIG. 1in exit from the same side by 180° rotation, thus avoiding to make thepaper sheet pass under or over the mother card of the processors. In analternative solution with exit on the other side, where a printer groupfor points line of known art having the same substantial shape of thescanner of FIG. 2 can be provided.

In such a case it is possible, by using the other push-button (15), toload from the scanner side (12) a white paper sheet “P”to make it comeout as printed from the opposite side.

The printing group is not illustrated as it is of known art andsubstantially similar to that of the scanner where in the place of thescanning unit (127) a printing unit (e.g. an ink-jet or thermal one) isinstalled.

In particular the scanner group (121) is of the static type andprotected in a case (122), and the sheet is made to scroll within it (P)entering into one side (M1) and getting out from the other one (M2).

A step motor controlled by the computer (15-PC-CPU) or separateprocessor ((14-OCR-CPU-123), is provided for such purpose and it isoperated by the control button external to the computer (14).

The motor (123) tows by belt 124 respective paper traction rolls (125),placed along bearing transversal axis (125′) and operating by idlecounter-rolls (1261), on an openable countercase (126) for theinspection and eventual extraction of the jammed sheet during theadvancement.

A paper-presser 127 is provided in the lower countercase (126) to pressthe advancing paper against the linear scanning unit of known art (127)that includes the lighting device and the device to send the reading tothe respective processor (14-OCR-CPU) or alternatively more simply tothe same processor of the computer (15-PC-CPU) where by known OCRprogram the reading is captured and transformed in text “WP”for thetranslation or in case of a drawing, stored separately in a scanneddocuments storing folder (OCR or not).

The structure of the new translating computer or translation station ortranslation desk, therefore preferably includes said characteristics andat least (See FIG. 3):

-   -   in the desktop parallelepiped case (1): a central processor        (15-PC-CPU) with respective management card and control which is        connected to; Memory (RAM 16); Disk fixed memory (17-HDM)    -   Extractable memories such as: magnetic memory disks (18-FDD)    -   Optic memory disks (19-CDD);

The whole including at least a system or programme OCR (121-OCR), andadditionally being able and preferably providing a second processor forthe separate treatment of the scanning (14-OCR-CPU) which alwayscontrols the scanning group (121).

Externally, as already said, the processor card (15-PC-CPU) is linkableto the keyboard (2-KB), mouse (3-MAUS), and Screen (4-DIS).

In case of the presence of the second processor “dual processorcomputer”, a processor will serve to the normal translation routine of(15-PC-CPU) and a processor (14-OCR-CPU) which operates in parallel andis therefore also able to operate on the storage while the translationby the main processor continues.

Thus it is possible having work overlaps and while one translates orworks with the computer in WP, also doing other work, for examplescanning, printing and other.

Coming back to FIGS. from 6 to 9 it can be noticed that, in the specificcase the bi-directional module “English-Italian-English”is indicated,able to operate also as “stand alone”and indicated with FL, being theremany of these modules, each for language couples combination and havingthe same configuration with adjacent “T”—like parallel fields coupledwith the control bar placed on the upper part.

Where the control types (always virtual push-buttons) are obviouslydifferent.

The translation phases with interactive self-learning are the followingones:

Introduction of the English text in the left field in the desired way(import, copy and paste, writing or also coming from the automaticscanning system with characters recognition system (121-OCR), choice ofthe interactive translation mode (total quality) by pushing the buttonTQ and beginning of the translation.

After the automatic translation of the first sentence, said interactivewindow 46 appears automatically having indicated (FIG. 6):

-   -   in first line a numbers line that indicates in the specific case        that the sentence has been translated word by word (1*4=4), not        having found prememorized sentences portions (in the case of        FIG. 4 instead the sentence, longer, had the code 1*3+6+1*1+3+3        that means=the first three words translated singularly, then a 6        words string translated, then a single word and then two strings        of 3 words each. The puzzle thus made up has given the resulting        sentence that as it can be seen is of enough acceptable quality;    -   in the second line the sentence being translated;    -   in the third line the automatically translated sentence to be        controlled.

The operator carries out the correction of the non appreciated sentenceportion (computer system=processing system) that is highlighted (4631FIG. 7).

The operator has either the possibility to go on by pushing “OK” (464)or to get out by pressing “Cancel” (465):

-   -   if he presses “cancel” the system either optionally asks if he        wants to consult one of the words being translated to supply        alternatives of translation or it stops the translation by        accumulating the translated sentence in accumulator;    -   if he presses “OK” the window of FIG. 8 appears in which it can        be seen that in line 2 only the correct sentence fragment        appears and he asks to adapt the correspondent original sentence        portion accordingly to line 2, proposed in third line a        qualification code.

By highlighting the portion, corresponding fragments of the sentence aretranslated (4621) on the first line and by pushing “OK” (FIG. 9).

FIG. 10 appears where on three lines the operator must check theteaching (4621–4631), in the specific case he corrects from “sofs”(automatically supplied by the processor because it ends with“a”)=singular feminine noun in “soms”=singular masculine noun (4632),and by pushing “OK” (464), the teaching is automatically stored in theinteractive memory (FM FIG. 12), that includes:

The field of the first fragment word for the research (FM 1), the fieldof the fragment portion following the first word (FM2), the field of thetranslation (FM3, the field of the behaviour code (FM4), being furtherprovided a personalization field (FM5), in function of the chosen sectoror work domain (DM).

FIG. 11, the completely and perfectly translated and controlled sentenceappears in the left field and the interactive window appears againproposing to the translator the control of the next sentence and so on.

With this system it was found:

-   -   a practically perfect translation controlled by the operator;    -   a progressive teaching of the sentence fragments concerning the        corrections avoiding the computer to repeat the previous errors;        and    -   the translation time is greatly reduced, going over 50% and with        maximum quality.

In the case of the Tq=“total Quality”system, no more substantial errorswere found (as for example the repetition of good translations as fromwindow of FIG. 11), it will be possible to opt for the automatictranslation and post-correction=“postediting”, in which always with thesame method it will be possible to memorize the respective corrections.

In the preferential solution the scanner (121) is substantially placedon the side and arranged for a sheet path substantially around of thescanning head (127), the sheet in scanning (P) obliged to follow asubstantially “C”-like path for entering into and getting out from thesame side d, on the computer side, turning around the scanning head(127). In this way there is the very great advantage, of being able toextract the central body of the scanning group (122) that to suchpurpose is laterally enclosed within the “C”-like housing (126), foreasily carrying out the maintenance and extracting an eventually jammedsheet.

In fact the computer is characterized in that said scanner group (121)is substantially made up of a substantially “C”-like case as paper guide(P), external (126), where the internal group (122) containing thereading head (127) and the paper advancement system(123–124/124′/124″–125) is inserted and laterally extractable.

1. A machine translation method to be used in a machine translationsystem, said method comprising: storing of words and strings with morewords with respective correct translations forming a dictionary of wordsand sentences and sentence portions; receiving a text to be translatedon a first screen field; storing a translated text into a second screenfield; progressively searching the text to be translated, comparing thetext to be translated to the dictionary; and obtaining a progressivetranslation of said text to be translated; wherein obtaining aprogressive translation further comprises: performing automatictranslation as the translation text, selecting a sentence fragment ofthe translation text wherein the automatic translation is not correct,and sending an input indicating re-translation of the translation text;presenting a window appears having a selected sentence fragment from thetranslation text in a first line, and an automatic translation of saidselected sentence fragment in a second line; correcting the automatictranslation of said selected sentence fragment in a said second line;inputting a qualification code as an instruction in a third line of saidwindow, said instruction being a syntactical function code to associatesaid selected sentence fragment with the corrected automatic translationin said second line; recording the corrected automatic translation andthe instruction; storing the first, second, and third lines of saidwindow in said dictionary, said selected sentence fragment in said firstline having a first word and a following portion, the correctedautomatic translation being in said second line, said instruction ofsaid third line being a syntactical function code associated withpersonalization of a chosen sector or work domain in said dictionary;re-translating automatic translation such that the corrected automatictranslation is obtained for said selected sentence fragment in saidsecond screen field.